In this specification where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.
The present disclosure relates to a method of conditioning gas and a device for conditioning gas for use in engine systems.
Many oil and gas, industrial and manufacturing companies rely on engines that run off poor quality gas, such as wellhead gas, and/or high Btu content gas, associated petroleum gas, and/or methane or natural gas comprising a high percentage of heavy hydrocarbons to make useful in engine systems. Poor quality gas typically has a high energy content, which is typically measured in British thermal units (Btu), and has a low Methane Number (MN). For example, a gas station site utilizes an engine to drive a compressor that transports gas through the pipeline. The poor quality fuel prevents the engine from running at rated load and reduces the quantity of gas that can be transported. Thus, the engine becomes inefficient at high applied loads due to high exhaust temperatures and premature ignition or knock.
Knock is an abnormal combustion phenomenon that produces an audible sound. The pre-ignition of gas during the compression causes knock. The gas pre-ignition increases the pressure and temperature in the combustion chamber of the engine and cannot only lead to degradation and erosion of the material but also primarily results in poor engine performance. The occurrence of knock is dependent on many variables, including fuel properties. Therefore, there remains a definite need for a method of conditioning fuel gas with properties that avoid or eliminate knock.